中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******

　　中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。

　　资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄

　　由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。

　　麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。

　　一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。

　　此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。

　　作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。

　　美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。

　　这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。

　　从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。

　　两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。

　　House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy

　　(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".

　　The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.

　　Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.

　　On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.

　　On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.

　　Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.

　　As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.

　　But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.

　　CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.

　　This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.

　　Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.

　　From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.

　　Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.

　　The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.

（新春走基层）从“港漂”到“会长” “90后”姑娘在双向奔赴中链接浙港******

　　中新网杭州1月25日电(郭其钰)打年糕、看烟花、逛灯会……今年春节，浙江旅港青年会会长蒋思雨再次感受到了记忆中儿时的年味。得益于香港与内地“通关”，这是她三年来第一次回到老家浙江海宁过年，与父母家人团聚团圆。

　　时隔三年，今年1月8日香港与内地迎来首阶段免检疫“通关”，得知消息后，蒋思雨立即订了过年回家的机票。对于常年往返于浙港两地的她来说，“通关”是极大的利好。

　　2015年，蒋思雨赴香港中文大学攻读硕士研究生。彼时，一直生活在内地的她参加了浙江旅港青年会赴港新生分享会，不仅认识了很多在香港的朋友，还帮助初来乍到的她解决了不少生活学习中的难题。

　　“从此以后我经常参加浙江旅港青年会的活动，大家都是年轻人有共同语言，并且有共同的家乡浙江，浙江旅港青年会也成了我们温暖的组织和家园。”蒋思雨说。

　　毕业后，在浙江旅港青年会的帮助下，蒋思雨找到了在香港的第一份工作。“当时只是想体验一下这座城市的工作生活节奏，有一段不一样的人生经历，后来因为各方面越来越顺利，便自然而然留在了香港。”

　　私人秘书、理财规划师、自主创业，蒋思雨笑称自己也曾是“港漂”。她深知独自在香港漂泊的不易，便加入浙江旅港青年会担任执委，组织活动去帮助更多旅港青年。

　　2021年，蒋思雨接过接力棒，担任浙江旅港青年会会长一职，带领这个5000多名会员的青年社团，成为浙江与香港之间最具活力的纽带。

　　“过去一年我们克服疫情影响，共组织了46场活动，特别是在浙港两地青年交流方面，我们带领香港青年走进浙江舟山和嘉兴，和两地的青年团体结成了同心伙伴。”蒋思雨告诉记者，浙江旅港青年会还成立了义工团，发动年轻人的力量积极参加社会公益。

　　在蒋思雨心中，2022年浙江旅港青年会登上庆祝香港回归25周年的文艺表演舞台，成为他们的高光时刻，在全香港面前展现了浙江青年的风采和面貌。

　　从“出走”到“回归”，如今蒋思雨带领越来越多香港青年回到浙江，促进两地青年的交往交流。

　　“香港和内地恢复‘通关’后，对我们来说香港和杭州也是2小时城市圈。”蒋思雨希望今年借杭州亚运会契机，组织更多香港青年来浙江参访交流，让两地青年越走越近、越走越亲。(完)